Hello sick season! Like half of Norway, I have been knocked out by germs and rudeness, and haven’t been able to write the Book Letter for a while. With a news picture that is particularly dark at the moment, I have found two bright spots to enjoy: the TV series “Makta” has sent me to old but good biographies, and Paul McCartney’s podcast has given depth to the Beatles’ new song. I can barely talk about anything else. I also share a famous poem that gives comfort in the darkest of times, also for some Palestinians in Gaza. – This was drilling Beatles. This is how a comment sounded on Facebook when music hipster Audun Vinger shared his article about the Beatles’ new song, Now and Then, in Dagens Næringsliv. I felt the anger rise in my body, almost like a violent impulse. How could this guy dismiss the song so easily? Yes. I know that music tastes are different and that not everyone cares about the same music. But was this person aware of the history behind this song? A story about a friendship that makes me cry when I hear Paul and John sing together on the simple line Now and then I miss you. I’ll admit that I’m extra easily moved because I’ve recently delved into a book. Paul McCartney’s collected lyrics came out last year in a two-volume edition: From AK and from LZ. The paperback edition has just become available. Photo: Robert Rønning / news Paul McCartney has said that he will never write an autobiography. The book “The Lyrics – 1956 to the Present” from last year is the closest we come. It weighs four kilos and is full of pictures. There, Paul goes through his lyrics one by one in alphabetical order. It takes him to his childhood in Liverpool and out on tour in the USA with the phenomenon The Beatles. The book is delicious, but I cheated a little and listened to the podcast version of this book while I was ill. The British poet Paul Muldoon, who wrote the book with Paul, recorded their conversations on tape. From 50 hours of recording, a selection of the conversations has been released this autumn as the podcast “McCartney: A Life in Lyrics”. The first season with 12 episodes will be free to listen to from next week. This is a low-fi podcast. You can hear Sir Paul sipping tea and nibbling biscuits during the conversation. The advantage of the podcast version, however, is that you get to hear snippets of the songs they talk about. As a poetry lover and Beatles fan, this is as cool as cheese pop. I have gained insight into the origins of poetic gems such as “Eleanor Rigby” and heard how Paul’s dead mother came to him in a dream with the song “Let it Be”. Paul Muldoon, with his poetic ears, finds literary references to both Shakespeare and “Alice in Wonderland” in the light pop lyrics. ICONIC: The Beatles were responsible for 188 newly written songs and 25 cover songs and are the world’s best-selling band. Ex Paul, John, Ringo and George. Photo: AP As a common thread lies the story of a unique friendship. Although the Beatles consist of four cool chicks, it is Paul McCartney and John Lennon who make up the beating heart of the band. Paul and John worked closely on the songwriting. From the start, they chose to sign all the songs they were behind as Lennon/McCartney, regardless of how much each had contributed. Together they gave the world a musical treasure the likes of which we have hardly seen. Photo: AP Then the snake enters paradise. The Beatles break up, and Paul ends up in a nasty lawsuit against John, George and Ringo over the rights to the music. In a dark part of the band’s history, John and Paul begin to provoke each other through songs. The most degrading thing is when John blurts out: All you did was Yesterday in the song “How do You Sleep”. Paul still seems upset about this. Fortunately, the two get on speaking terms again, but Lennon/McCartney never manage to work together again. In December 1980, John Lennon is shot and killed in the open street. Paul says that the guys in the band never expressed how much they meant to each other when they were doing it. They crooned about love me do, but men didn’t talk about feelings in those days, especially if you came from working-class Liverpool. John was extreme in that respect. He had grown up in a dysfunctional home, and preferred to come up with a sour line if he was overwhelmed with emotion, Paul explains. Photo: AP In mourning over the brutal death of his best friend, Paul sits down and writes the song “Here Today”. He finally gets to say outright that he loves his friend. The two were, after all, inseparable since they met as fourteen-year-olds hitchhiking together to Paul’s aunt’s and lying cross-legged in their guest bed. To this day, Paul thinks “what would John have said” when he writes a new song. When I hear 80-year-old Paul McCartney speak with such warmth about their friendship, it’s sad that John never got to grow old and mellow and reminisce the same way. But then, on the second of November this year, Lennon rose from the grave, at least a little, with a lovely and sensitive Beatles song. Now and Then – teksten I know it’s trueIt’s all because of youAnd if I make it throughIt’s all because of youAnd now and thenIf we must start againWell, we will know for sureThat I will love youNow and thenI miss youOh, now and thenI want you to be there for me. But artificial intelligence has only been used to extract John Lennon’s vocals from a scrappy demo recording from the 70s. Then Paul arranged the song, and all four Beatles contributed in different ways to the release. “Now and Then” is the third song released after John’s death, but the first after George’s death, and they have called it The Beatles’ last song. With the help of new technology, Paul and John can harmonize together again, across the abyss of death, and sing that they will always miss and love each other. Can one be cold about this? If you want more tips about Beatles podcasts or share thoughts about the song, please send me an e-mail to [email protected]. Poem of the Week Like the rest of the world, I am looking for ways to deal with the horrors of the Middle East. Every child’s life is inalienable. How are thousands of murdered children to be accepted? I have primarily turned to news to understand the conflict. But where in literature should I look to cope with the feelings? The podcast “Brenner shares poems” recently invited Save the Children’s international manager Nora Ingdal. She has lived in Gaza and can hardly sleep at night now. Her morning ritual is to check WhatsApp and see which of her Palestinian colleagues are still alive. For Nora Ingdal, there is one poem she always turns to in times of trouble: Olav H. Hauge’s “Det er den draumen”. She translated the poem into Arabic and sent it to her colleagues in Gaza. One called with 25 hearts. Another retorted that he had no dream but to wake up in heaven. Hauge’s famous poem suddenly took on a new dimension when Ingdal read it out. Because the Palestinians hope concretely that wells (with drinking water) will spring and that doors will open, out of the hell of war they are trapped in. A poem I thought was worn and old suddenly took on new meanings. It’s that dream It’s that dream I’m praying that something wonderful will happen, that it must happen – that time will open its heart, it’ll open its doors, it’ll open its doors, the mountain will open its springs, it’ll spring – that the dream will open, that I one morning will slip into a wave I have not known about. Old Labor biographies become as new Not in my wildest fantasies did I imagine that I would order a stack of old biographies about Gro Harlem Brundtland and her party colleagues from the library. Yesterday I threw myself at Anders Baasmo to take a selfie because he plays Odvar Nordli, a prime minister I can barely remember. Only a really good historical TV series can do something like this. I was just a child when the events of “Makta” happened. I remember that many of the Ap biographies were lying around the house, but at the time I couldn’t think of any more boring reading material. Now, however, I read news’s fact check on the series and follow two podcasts: news’s own “Series talk” and “Aftenpodden’s Makta Spesial” with voracious appetite. Still, it’s not enough! I want more, and borrowed lots of biographies from the library. “Oh, so exciting,” said the 19-year-old in the house when I came home with these two books. She is also a fan of “Makta”. I jumped straight to the Bravo accident in the first volume of Gro’s autobiography “My Life”. She writes a little as she speaks, bluntly and without much emotion. Where there is humour, conflict and drama, you can count on Gro to take it all DOWN a notch. Fortunately, the TV series has added color and emotion to Gro’s sober account. Together, it’s a fun package. When I read “Mitt liv” on the subway, I can’t hold back a little “yikes” here and there. There are a bunch of biographies about the Labor Party and its leading figures from the 1970s and 1980s. But which books from that time are worth reading, seen from today’s perspective? I have asked some political commentators who talk about “Makta” in their podcasts to each give their own book recommendation: Jon Bolstad / news Jens Kihl – Cultural editor in Bergens TidendeTrygve Bratteli: “Fange i natt og tåke” (1988) An absolutely incredible book, which was a sensation in 1980 and sold almost two hundred thousand copies. It depicts the great collapse of civilization from the inside, from Bratteli as a resistance man in Norway until he is literally picked out of a pile of corpses in 1945. If you think Bratteli seems distant in the series, this book will give you all the answers as to why he became that way. NTB / Håkon Mosvold Larsen Anders Giæver – political commentator in VGSteinar Hansson, Ingolf Håkon Teigene: “Power and mannefall: the story of Gro Harlem Brundtland” (1992)Steinar and Ingolf’s book started as a series in Dagbladet. The aim was to portray precisely what “Makta” portrays: Gro Harlem Brundtland and the much-needed modernization of the Labor Party. A mix of incisive political analysis and well-written tabloid journalism makes it a feast to read. And everyone from “Makta” is there. Anders Minge / STAVANGER AFTENBLAD Harald Birkevold – political editor at Stavanger AftenbladHans Olav Lahlulm: “Reiulf Steen – the history, triumphs and tragedies” (2019)Lahlum writes insightfully in good language about a fascinating, complex and at times self-destructive politician. The impression is that the eminent rhetorician Steen was his own worst enemy. Thomas Brun / NTB Trine Eilertsen – editor-in-chief of AftenpostenGro Harlem Brundtland: “My life” (1997) and “Dramatic years” (1998) I think that Gro’s own book is number 1, but Lahlum’s book about Reiulf Steen is also up there. And Frank Rossaviks about Einar Førde, even though he currently has a peripheral role in the series.Torkil Risan – Series talk – Makta.Viggo Johansen, Pål T. Jørgensen: The spider – the story of a furniture dealer (1989) “The spider” is the book that tells about how the furniture dealer in Jessheim recorded telephone conversations with unsuspecting powerful people in the Labor Party and LO. The audio book is especially recommended as you get more of the real conversations. Conversations recorded on cassettes that author Viggo Johansen received from Arvid Engen himself. Note: Most of these books are no longer for sale, but can be found in libraries and second-hand bookshops. A look ahead Yes, I know, now I HAVE to finish my Lord of the Rings project, which you gave me in April this year! I simply could not bear the darkness of Mordor in addition to real war. Promise to finish before Christmas. If nothing else, I know that the war in Middle-Earth will end well. Otherwise, we are now allowed to say that it will be Jon Fosse Minute by minute! I’m lucky enough to work with it, in a block from Oslo, and I’m really excited. Between the readings of the drama, we will contribute with jokes and useful information about Fosse. We are busy booking guests, so if you know someone who we should include, please send us a tip. I am really exited! FOSSEGJENG: Workshop in the Bergen part of the broadcast. Linda Eide, Hans Olav Brenner and Finn Tokvam will host the programme, while minute-by-minute king Thomas Hellum will deliver 40 hours of broadcast safely to port. Photo: Gøril Grov Sørdal / news Are you planning to watch Fosse minute by minute? Yes, I’m looking forward to it! Maybe take a look at Overhodet! not Show result
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Book letter #24 Beatles and “Makta” have been bright spots this autumn – news Culture and entertainment
